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The Story of RED DEER 12 - 12th June 1986.
Shortly after the outbreak of war the RAF deployed 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron and its Vulcan B.2s to RAF Kai Tak in Hong Kong, joining a force of British, American and Australian aircraft that had been assembled to support the remaining Chinese forces in their fight against the Soviets. * Long range Vulcan sorties in support of the PLA were initially codenamed RED DEER (later changed to GREYFOX). Some were battlefield support missions with full loads of iron bombs, or point strikes with LGBs. This file tells the story of RED DEER 12. * In ’86 the Vulcan had the following weapons options: a load of 21 1,000lb ‘iron bombs’ or BL.755 cluster bombs, three to five 1,000lb Laser Guided Bombs, and two to four AGM-45 Shrike missile. The Shrike load depended on whether the aircraft was carrying an AN/ALQ-101, or not, which was needed until the bomber’s ECM equipment was upgraded in 1987. In 1987 the capability of carrying AIM-9L missiles on the external pylons was also added. Although never acknowledged at the time the Hong Kong based Vulcans could also carry WE.177A/B nuclear gravity bombs and at least two were always on QRA duty at RAF Kai Tak. RAF Kai Tak was quite a place at this point in the war. There were the resident Vulcans and Wessex of the RAF, RAAF Mirage IIIO fighters providing air defence and visiting SAC bombers and tankers, never mind civilian airliners. * During the morning and early afternoon of 12th June Vulcan XM597 was loaded with four 1,000lb Laser Guided bombs, two AGM-45A Shrike missiles and an AN/ALQ-101 jamming pod, and loaded with fuel. Meanwhile her crew were given their final briefings on her primary and secondary targets, the Soviet defences and where help could be found if they had to bale-out. Shortly before sunset they boarded their bomber and took off. The flight over most of southern and central China was quiet and uneventful, there were few lights on the ground, no sign of any radars tracking the bomber and all the crew had to do was to monitor the Vulcan’s systems and listen to radio traffic, of which there was quite a bit. As the aircraft approached the target area it dropped down to 60 meters to avoid detection by Soviet air defence radars. THE Radar and Plot Navigators now came into their own as they guided the bomber to its target – a Soviet bunker complex that had been giving the PLA some trouble. The bunker, part of the border fortifications, was armed with the turrets from two IS-2M tanks and a number of multi-barrelled 30mm cannons and heavy machine guns. Two PLA infantry divisions had battered themselves against this bunker for a week without success. At the last minute the Vulcan zoom-climbed up to 10,000 feet, opened its bomb bays and released two of its bombs. Closing its bomb bays and diving back to low level the crew had no idea how well their bombs had fell, hoping that the four man SAS team equipped with a laser designator was in place. They later learned that both 1,000lb LGBs fell true, striking and penetrating the roof of the bunker. One smashed through a tank turret before detonating, destroying the turret and setting off the ready-use ammunition in a spectacular explosion. However the second bomb caused an even more massive explosion, as it penetrated the bunker far enough to explode in the main magazine, destroying the entire complex. The PLA pushed forward both of its rather battered divisions through the gap, though they were only able to advance five miles before being stopped by Soviet reserves. Meanwhile XM597 continued on her way to the secondary target and her encounter with a Su-15 ‘Flagon’ fighter. To be continued...